Quote Originally Posted by Lakebound View Post
Jake,

I myself just started using the straight razor last week. Many here will tell you that you should purchase a sight unseen razor from Whipped Dog or from another reputable member here on the market place threads to ensure that you get a shave ready razor. I would avoid Ebay even for a new razor because these are almost never "shave ready". Lynn Abrams at SRD will ensure that your new razor is shave ready for you and he has numerous videos on his YouTube channel that you should watch over and over as well.

Best of luck to you,

Frank
Thanks Frank! Solid advice here. Unfortunately most models at SRD, even in the $150 price range, are out of stock. Maybe I just need some patience

Quote Originally Posted by gugi View Post
A 5/8 or 6/8 razor is much preferable to a 4/8. With a new razor you'll pay premium for the 'new' which is gone the moment you place your order. If you ask me better put any premium towards the services of a well qualified honemeister.

As far as whipped dog cheapos, from the examples I've seen, to me they are disposable straight razors which were heavily abused and are at the end of their life. Sure, you could probably use many of them throughout your lifetime as long as you do not inflict any additional abuse, but that much of a razor abuse to start with is not my cup of tea.

Of course if you have a set budget you have a set budget and may be most razors simply won't fit in it. But the slight premium for non-abused razor from the classifieds compared to the whipped dog is well worth in my opinion and yes just I looked and there are several within your budget.

My best advise is to reevaluate your priorities - your budget is more than enough to get a high quality vintage razor in great condition and well honed, and I think what's preventing you is the ideas of 'interesting' and 'new' which are more of a vanity. Nothing wrong with those as long as you are wiling to pay the respective premiums, but you don't seem to want that.
Lots of great advice here Gugi, and I really appreciate it. I hope I didn't irritate you when I mentioned the looks of the blade as important. One thing that I love about straight razor shaving in general is the combination of utility and aesthetics. It's like a good sports car- performance and looks. I currently despise shaving so vehemently, yet I must do so for my current job. I'm looking forward to making shaving an enjoyable ritual and hobby. That being said, it would be nice to have attractive equipment. However, and you'r right, starting out I could get a perfectly usable vintage blade in the classifieds here. I'll definitely keep my eye on them.

One challenge is that I do not exactly know who to trust in the classifieds. Plus, many of them are overseas. After reading about a few bad experiences in this forum, I'm just a tad hesitant to grab a blade that may not have been honed properly, etc.

Quote Originally Posted by K37 View Post
Personally, if I had to get only one and start over, I'd get a 6/8, I'd get a full hollow like you suggested and it'd be a new Ralf Aust round point from SRD for the money, quality and shave readiness. I could use that razor for the rest of my life with no issues. IMO, when you first start shaving with a straight razor you want to eliminate all the variables you possibly can so you can improve your technique. For me, a full hollow increases feedback which improves my light-handedness, the 6/8 size allows me to consistently use a shallow angle, the round point prevents me from nicking my ears at 5:00 in the morning every morning, the purchase from SRD eliminates the shave readiness and finally, Ralf Aust razors have been very good quality for me and hone up very well.
If you know where to get a Ralf Aust blade, let me know please! They're currently out of stock at SRD.

Quote Originally Posted by Phrank View Post
All great advice from the above, especially regarding the Classifieds here. I would take vintage any day of the week, and the blades you get here are and can be fantastic. One of the nicest and best shavers I purchased from the Classifieds for $40.00. I simply sent it to the person here in Toronto to hone it a give it a once over (he does that anyway), and honing (I prefer his honing) and ended up with one of the nicest razors and shavers in my collection, and I've got several new production blades.

How's this, a beautiful old vintage French frameback Thiers-Issard, brought to you by the Classifieds (I have two other blades as well from the Classifieds):

Beautiful blade! Good find. Most are pointing me toward the classifieds here, so I'll check those daily and then probably solicit a bit more advice when I find one that fits within my budget that ships from the US. Thank you so much everyone! You've been immensely helpful.